popeye the sailor

thanks Carl, Patrick and Pat......and thanks for the likes as well! work has pulled me away from the table at the moment. I'm sure things will fall into place as I add stuff.........that, or do it the way I'm thinking and be done with it the gallows first.........

Thanks Denis, nice compliments of yours, I wish I were so far to build the stacks, (have gathered some 26 mm diam. plugs to wrap the metal funnel skin around already) , or at least to install more details of the superstructure that makes it look more like the ship should look like. Nils I think she looks very much the part.........the name on the bow gives her away

got a little bit done with this build. sat down and did some sanding to the gallows....clean them up a bit more and prep them for paint. I got to thinking.........three..........really?!?!?! I thought with two booms, it might look a little weird......so I made a fourth one. I had made four top pieces....wasn't hard to find square stock for the uprights. I had made five pulleys........so there they all are. I had also painted and dry fitted the railing aft on the ship......I mentioned I'd post a picture......... the gallows are now painted. all I need to do now is add the blocks near the base of the uprights. then, once cemented in place, I can figure out how I'm going to make and position the winches. the main winch you saw earlier......I'm still up in the air with it..........I might tear it apart and redesign it to handle more cables {lines}..........we'll see. still thinking how I'm going to shroud her, and not crowd the gallows and booms. thanks for looking in........more soon.

that's to be expected......these ships have quite a few sub assemblies. no two of that, and three of those with these babies! thank the good lord, you have the other part of the build to think about, to keep you from getting a mind cramp during the mass production that's scratch building to a tee......your the designer. I've painted myself in a corner a few times.......don't like the feeling either your careful planning is paying off greatly....it quite a ship! every once in a while......one gets a peek into the interior of the model. to cross section the model, one would see the construction, and what it's taken to arrive at the model we see. there's a lot of wood there the metal detail is fantastic!

even your furry friend want you back at the table it would be nice though, if they found a more subtle way of telling you you know as they say: "curiosity killed the cat" you'll get'em back in shape!

very nice work on the pump Nenad.........looks perfect!

creates a very interesting bulwark..........like the way it looks

good to see your up and about my friend the shop looks really nice.....looking forward to seeing you in it. I hope you're feeling better, I miss your fine work

great looking sub assemblies nils...........awesome way to make bollards! deck benches and chairs are really neat ! very nice work

I think those types of boats need that finish to glide through the water better. you can get a much better look, if done in light coats. it will also dry faster.

lacquer is a funny animal.........there has to be a dry condition, or you get white.........is this what your referring to? humidity kills lacquer. I use lacquer quite a bit....I like the hard finish and the gloss {if that's what your looking for. I use a semi gloss.......decks will suck it up like a sponge, so the sheen, if any, will die down as it dries. I've never gone over three coats.......and I have used it with my airbrush. there is some prep to it........especially if I do it in the cellar. I'll run a heater..........a fan on low pointed down wind, and the windows down wind are opened. if you can get some heat into your booth, it would help too if you are using an airbrush with a reservoir tank, you should drain it every once in a while, to insure that there is no moisture build up. depending what pressure your spraying at, turning it down will prevent 'icing' at the nozzle. moisture can develop when paint is sprayed through an oriffice such as an airbrush....siphon or gravity

thanks Frank. I need to get a picture of the railings, now that they are painted. I have them dry fitted in place, but I can cement them in now. thank you as well Tom.....very kind of you to say believe it or not, this build is roughly four or five years in the making......I was stunned when I made this revelation. I probably have a couple other builds that are about this long {I don't want to say 'old'}. I've never had a build last this long. a lot of credit goes to MSW......I'm seeing and learning new stuff all the time. I use just a run of the mill, small soldering gun. it's small and can be found in craft stores. there is a picture of it, a page or two back....it has a pistol grip. I have another one that is straight...I found it in one of my travels. where I try and solder on the model, I try not to use the model as a 'heat sink'......I have been lucky not to burn the wood, or bubble the paint. flame might be better, if tinning is what you need to do, I'm going to try and add things that require soldering. I haven't done too much of it. I do like the integration of wood and metal. thanks again for your kind comment

thank you so much for the generous comments! I'm far from genius, but I do think well on my feet........if I were to put any though into it, things don't come out so good. but, it's all good fun, and that's what counts. I see so much here........it's great to be in a community of like minded folk! I did get the railing and spotlight painted....still thinking of what to do with the spotlight. it's been busy here.....not much time at the table.....and the work week has taken over. there will be more progress soon thank to all who hit the like button as well

thanks Nils.........I wanna be as good as you when I grow up I see some of the stuff you do ....and I'm blown away. the marriage of wood and metal is really cool.......time to add some to this build. thanks for the good word I hope you all enjoyed my little bit of creative writing in the heading.........I think back to when I started, and I got caught up in the moment

thanks for the kind comments Patrick and Carl.......and thanks for all who hit the like button. I got interrupted yesterday afternoon when my keyboard died. at first I thought it might have gotten choked on the soldering fumes......I found out later that it was due to overfeeding........seasoned cracker crumbs! I have another keyboard, as you can see......this one is so quiet.......no key clatter, like the generic types my soldering is meager at best.......but if I'm a good boy and keep at it, I'm sure I'll get better at it more to come........YEA! thank you hi Bob........yea....silly me jumping the gun, wanting to see visual progress. now I decide to do something, and I find that I've made it harder for myself. I guess you could say that this is my way of back tracking....I don't rip things apart......I just modify things in place great job on that build of yours.....she's look'in sweet! I got the pictures from the camera today........the railing and the spot light is drying in the paint booth. so the first thing I did yesterday, was to add the port side single posts. all the while this was going on, I was bending the wire, to get the shape of the aft border. I got the idea to use a long piece of scrap wood to hold the posts perpendicular, until I can solder the posts in position. the four singles were soldered and I worked my way to the three hole stanchions........I soldered the top rail. then I got brazen........I tried to go lower. bad idea.......my fear came to fruition.........the center post came apart on the bottom! it wasn't too tough to move it back into position.....I was a little off in this picture. I made the adjustment and took this one, but it came out a bit blurry. I won't make any more adjustments.....I'll just file it smooth....it's fine I do have to adjust the end stanchion on the port side, but I finished the soldering here. I took out the center rail and just have the top and bottom on the single stanchions. I like the looks of it.......it's like blending two types of railings together. there was some clean up and filing to do.......it's slowly taking shape. I did fix that one over sized pulley, so I got the fifth one squared away. I added feet pads to the gallows and cemented the pulleys in place. I have another block to add to the bottom, and I may dress up the pads a little more before painting them. the pulleys will be painted the same color. there was more sanding and filing to the railings and I also added the spot light....had to solder that together too. I left the post long, since I haven't figured where or how I will position it. as can be seen in some of the pictures, there is a hole on the side of the funnel/cabin. there's a hole on the other side too. I have two portholes left.........I'm going to install them and use them up. I was thinking of getting nutz with some paint.......but we'll see on that thanks for look'in in

hello Frank! Man.......I wish I had looked in on this build sooner! getting caught up was a testament to the splendor of sculpted wood! I enjoy looking in on builds like these......they give so many ideas, but I lack the sort of tools that you have. levels above my meager work, I can tell ya that! just a super log all the way through personally, with all that there is to see.......no one will ever see the scarf joint mishap. if that's the only minor {yea, I call it minor} boo boo you made, then you still an expert in my book! fantastic workmanship!

she borrows my stuff all the time Carl...........my nail clippers {used to cut light metal rod and rigging}, my x-actors {used to cut everything else}. I wish she still did her ceramic houses.....used to have fun helping her out with them. I laugh when she asks for something, and I tell her they are on my table....she looks at the table and then asks...........where?!?!?! Hello Gerty....so good to see you as with most Midwest kits, the rigging has a few things that can be changed........the rigging diagram is really good though. it even shows the lazy jack lines. I was hoping that I could get 'round to tapering the mast, boom, and gaff yesterday, but I spent a lot of time at the table. I hope to get more done today. thanks for looking in and the good word..........hope to see you resume on the W.L.B.

using the cast off wood is a good idea, but looks a bit shy in a few areas. to be sure your making a whole 'slice', you could get some 3/16 - 1/8 flat stock. it can be found in basswood, but Midwest sells birch flat stock, if you prefer something other than basswood. super job on the hammocks.........very nice progress

nice job on the dory..............

I could try to sweet talk her into doing them.........but I haven't succeeded yet. she's pretty good about sharing her toys.

nice when you find a book on the ship your build'in..........that's really super!

so........your mess'in with the metal glue, are ya?!?! soldering isn't too bad once ya get used to it.........a little goes a long way I haven't done too much of it either, but finding it hard to avoid, with some of the stuff I want to do. hope to see some of your progress soon

yepper! it will also dissolve some glues as well I was hoping that this will be a quick one, but I'm not even at the masting stage yet. I also need to make two sails........I haven't used the admiral's sewing machine for a while, so that should be fun thanks for look'in in and the good word

I went into the camera today, and found these two pictures I had taken. the tiller has been going through small changes, since cut from some scrap wood. I think I still need to make it a little shorter, but the shape is getting there. then, there is the front cabin roof edge. giving it an outer frame work like I did, it brought the front edge flush with the fore cabin wall. I gave it a cap. I'm sure I'll get to do some more to her.........soon!

for those just starting out: oh my........what have I done to myself. I used to be this happy go lucky guy, playing with my plastic models, in the seclusion of wherever I opened the box. I even had a solid mantra for myself.....only one build at a time. then one day {those who have heard this before, can start yawning now}, a wooden kit fell into my possession......and that opened the floodgates to a new and wonderful hobby {more like a Pandora's box, in my case}. that was in 2009.......... I've come away wishing it was a lot sooner...........a whole lot sooner I have evolved toward having two tables....the main table, and a side table, in the event I wish to do a second build. I have gone way beyond that! we won't go there at the moment.......I'll leave it as "I'm pre-destined" I will never lament..........I consider them my children, born of hair brained ideas and envisioned thought. there are others..........but I dare not open the lid again, fearing that they'll escape. ..........and they will, you know................they always do. of late, the main table is a collection of tools and cast off wood, with metal bits scattered for good measure. the trawler sits at one end of it, waiting eagerly for me to add more to her............the second table has become more of a catch-all at this point in time, as I look for suitable parts to feed the aspect being worked on. the frenzy has also manifested itself on my desk as well, hosting my latest idea and a build in it's own right.........the Flattie. I sometimes daydream of a room..........a medium sized room {I'm not greedy}, with a work table, that lines three of the walls {in my dream, I don't even allow for a closet }. the fourth wall is dedicated for supplies and of course, the entrance way into the room. I can close that door....and leave the mortal plane behind.......and enter my own imagination. there is a freedom here..........but before I can get too cozy, I get roused to the present by the admiral, asking a question about something or other.........I never stay there for too long oh well........here I am I've moved to the stern on the trawler. there's more to do with the fore deck, but it's a lot of small stuff.......it can wait till the mast is permanent. I seem to have graduated from ladders to railings lately.....that's what I've begun to play with in this session. I have only seven of the 15 mm three hole stanchions...not enough to go the entire span of the stern border. so, what I've done is run the seven around the center of the span, and fill in the sides with the 15 mm single hole stanchions. I have enough to do the stern span with these, but I think it would look naked with them.......I'd have to try and fill them in somehow, with a second railing. this set up will also make it look a bit more interesting....and if I don't like it, I can add the extra railings. here is the stanchion positions that I have described. my eyes were play'in tricks..........I mentioned a problem in an earlier post. it seemed like these stanchions were a little taller that the three hole stanchions. in order to get a better picture of this, they were strung on a length of wire. I was amazed that the difference is greater than I thought it was..........at least 2 - 3 mm {I was too miffed to measure}. the original though was to simply counter sink the single hole stanchions into the border, correcting the height issue. I can see now that this can't happen. I want this to work........I think it will look cool...........so I entertained the thought of adding length to the three hole stanchions. anyone who has built billing's kits before, have run into their idea of eye bolts {in some of the kits}. they look like really stubby buttons with a hole in them. I will snip off the locator pins on the stanchions and solder these eye bolts onto them......I have plenty of these eye bolts as well. setting up the board at my desk, the operation began.........snipping off the locator pin, filing it flat, and solder the additions together. it wasn't too tough a job.......but it will pose a problem. I won't be able to solder the wire rails in place, the closer I get to the soldered joint. I can do the top rail........but the middle and bottom one will be very dicey indeed. I could do it, but it would take an enormous amount work to retain the shape. I can simply CA the railings as I have done before. the big problem is that I wouldn't have an adequate heat sink....bottom line with them all done and restrung next to the single hole stanchions, they look much better............perhaps just a minuscule of difference. the railings were re-posted back into their holes {I still need to do the port side}. I did leave enough railing wire on the lower rows, that I can solder them to the single post stanchions if I desire. of course, they won't be strung through a turnbuckle, like the three hole. I've seen Bob's railings......I like the way they look. this will give me the opportunity to try making them......really great idea........functional and realistic. now....I will get the port side laid out and solder the top rail, to lock in the spacing. then I can decide on the rest of the rails. I kinda wish I didn't cement the funnel/cabin in place.....I had an evil thought {I can still do it........remember,,,it's an evil thought}......icky mae